CLERMONT, Fla. (March 12, 2016) - The Western New England University softball team opened its 2016 campaign with losses to Plymouth State University and Clarkson University earlier today in non-conference action at Hancock Park in Clermont, Florida.

The Golden Bears dropped a close 6-5 contest to the Panthers in the first game, before falling to the Golden Knights by a 4-1 score in game two.

Plymouth State 6, Western New England 5
The Golden Bears built a 5-0 lead in today's opener, but fell victim to a late Plymouth State rally as the Panthers walked off with a 6-5 win. Senior third baseman McKenzie Pezze (Albany, N.Y.) led Western New England at the plate, reaching base four times with a walk, three hits and two RBI. Junior catcher Corianna DeLisi (Tuxedo, N.Y.) went 2-for-4 out of the leadoff spot with a double, one RBI and two runs scored, while senior Heather Fecteau (Biddeford, Maine) and sophomore Lindsay Williams (Coventry, Conn.) added two hits each.

Senior Heidi Grieger (Hyde Park, N.Y.) got the start in the circle and limited the Panthers to just two hits over the first four innings, but ended up taking the loss after giving up six runs (four earned) in the final two frames.

Freshmen Kayla Nester (Fairfax, Vt.), Autumn Beyor (Highgate, Vt.) and Melissa Goss (Templeton, Mass.) recorded two hits each for Plymouth State, while senior Julia Royer (Pawcatuck, Conn.) delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh.

Freshman Kayla Mathieu (Fairfax, Vt.) earned the win in relief after taking over for senior Whitney Roberts (Chocorua, N.H.) and turning in a pair of scoreless innings.

Western New England opened the scoring in the top of the third, plating four runs on four hits and a walk. DeLisi got it started with a one-out double to left field, scoring junior Katie Wood (Westport, Mass.) from second base, and junior Gabby Lavinio (Dalton, Mass.) made it 2-0 two batters later with an RBI groundout. Fecteau and Pezze followed with RBI doubles, and the Golden Bears tacked on a fifth run in the top of the fifth when Pezze drove in DeLisi with an RBI single.

Plymouth State got a run back in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by freshman Lindsey Hall (Midlothian, Va.), before mounting a five-run rally in the seventh. Nester led off the frame with a double to right center, and Beyor followed with a single. After an RBI groundout plated Nester, junior Katie Kennard (Concord, N.H.) was hit by a pitch and Goss drew a walk, loading the bases. A Western New England error on the next play allowed another run to score, cutting Plymouth State's deficit to two (5-3), and Royer capped the rally with a bases-clearing walk-off double to right field.

Clarkson 4, Western New England 1
Pezze, Lavinio and Fecteau had three hits each in Western New England's second game of the day, while junior Samantha DiGiovanni (Shirley, N.Y.) allowed three runs on five hits in 4.1 innings of work in the circle.

Junior Katie Pelton (Auburn, N.H.) took the ball for Clarkson and limited the Golden Bears to one run on six hits over 5.1 frames. Classmate Jamie Bridge (Plymouth, Conn.) went 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI, and also picked up the save in relief of Pelton with 1.2 scoreless innings.

After neither team was able to score over the first three innings, Clarkson got on the board with three runs in the top of the fifth. Sophomore Erika Jensen (Binghamton, N.Y.) drove in a pair with a single up the middle, and Bridge followed with an RBI single to left center.

Western New England got one run back in the bottom of the sixth on Pezze's fifth hit of the day, which scored Lavinio from second base, but the Golden Bears left the bases loaded as Bridge came on to get the final two outs of the inning. Clarkson added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, and Western New England went down in order in the bottom half of the inning.

The Golden Bears will look to bounce back tomorrow with games against Plattsburgh State and UMass Boston at 5 and 7 PM, respectively, at the National Training Center in Clermont.